Motor imagery and task-focused exercise for shoulder impingement
Official title: Effectiveness of Graded Motor Imagery and Task-Oriented Exercise Training in Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
Run by Fenerbahce University · NCT07290660 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program will try two added therapies—graded motor imagery or task-focused exercises—alongside standard electrotherapy to see if they reduce pain and improve shoulder movement and function in adults 25–65 with shoulder impingement.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 25 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 66 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Fenerbahce University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Istanbul) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | December 1, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 30, 2026 |
| Study ends | December 30, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | December 18, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07290660 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults aged 25–65 with a physician-diagnosed unilateral stage I or II shoulder impingement, positive Neer and Hawkins tests, at least 3 months of shoulder pain, no physiotherapy for shoulder problems in the past year, ability to follow instructions, and a Standardized Mini-Mental Test score of 24 or above.
✕Probably not a fit
People with prior shoulder surgery, a corticosteroid injection in the past three months, uncontrolled neurological/cardiac/systemic disease, cognitive impairment, or other exclusionary conditions may not be eligible and are unlikely to benefit from the specific motor imagery program tested.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This randomized study will enroll 66 adults aged 25–65 with unilateral stage I or II shoulder impingement and assign them to conventional physiotherapy, graded motor imagery plus standard care, or task-oriented exercise plus standard care. All groups receive standardized electrotherapy while the two intervention groups complete a structured 6-week program specific to their approach. Outcomes including pain, range of motion, strength, proprioception, functional status, kinesiophobia, laterality recognition, movement imagery ability, and patient satisfaction will be measured before and after the intervention by the same physiotherapist. The goal is to determine whether adding motor imagery or task-focused exercises provides measurable benefit beyond conventional physiotherapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, adding graded motor imagery or task-oriented exercises could reduce pain and improve shoulder motion, strength, proprioception, and daily function for people with shoulder impingement.
How similar studies have gone: Components of this approach have shown benefit in other musculoskeletal and chronic pain settings—task-oriented rehabilitation has supporting evidence for functional gains and graded motor imagery has been effective in some chronic pain syndromes—while direct comparisons in shoulder impingement are limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:Adults aged 25-65 years Diagnosed with Stage I or Stage II shoulder impingement syndrome by an Orthopedics or Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician Positive Neer and Hawkins tests Unilateral shoulder pain for at least 3 months No participation in any physiotherapy program for shoulder problems within the last year Ability to cooperate and follow instructions A score of 24 or above on the Standardized Mini-Mental Test - Exclusion Criteria: History of previous shoulder surgery Local corticosteroid injection within the last three months Presence of uncontrolled neurological, cardiac, or systemic diseases that may interfere with function Cognitive impairments that may affect proper understanding or execution of the motor imagery program A score below 24 on the Standardized Mini-Mental Test \-
Where it's running
-
Istanbul Medipol University, Institute of Health Sciences
Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye) Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Yeliz Çırak, PT, MSc
- Email: yeliz.cirak@fbu.edu.tr
- Phone: 05373298320
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
TeCAR therapy added to exercise for shoulder impingement syndrome
This study tests whether adding TECAR therapy to a standard exercise program helps reduce shoulder pain and improve function in people with subacromial impingement syndrome.
-
Acromial Shape and Age: How CT Looks at Shoulder Bone Shape
This study tests whether CT-based measurements of acromial morphology are reliable and how they relate to age in people who had shoulder imaging.
-
Nociplastic Pain in SAPS: A Look at Pain Types in Shoulder Pain
This study tests how common nociplastic pain is among people with subacromial pain syndrome who have shoulder pain for at least 3 months.
-
Pain phenotype and response to corticosteroid injection in SAPS
This study tests whether people with subacromial pain syndrome who have a nociplastic pain pattern respond differently to a corticosteroid injection than those without that pattern.
-
Could a tight pectoralis minor muscle lead to rotator cuff tears?
This project tries to see if tightness of the pectoralis minor muscle is linked to rotator cuff tears in adults aged 18–55 with shoulder pain.
-
Single-session action observation and motor imagery for upper-arm balance, muscle oxygenation, and fatigue
This project will test whether a single session of watching actions and imagining movements, alone or combined, improves upper-arm balance, muscle oxygenation, and fatigue in healthy men aged 18–25.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.